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The Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) mission is to promote the health, safety and economic well-being of the public through regulation, licensing, enforcement, training and education. Director Richele Taylor

South Carolina Labor Programs

South Carolina and federal laws are the source of various rights employers and employees have in their employer/employee relationships. LLR is one of several state and federal agencies, which administers the laws assuring these rights. Occupational safety, payment of wages, child labor, migrant labor and mediation of disputes between unions and businesses all fall under LLR. Elevators and amusement rides also are regulated to assure the public's safety. Learn more about Labor Programs

Under the international scheme, criminals posing as FDA or other law enforcement agents tell consumers that purchasing drugs over the telephone or Internet is illegal, CNN's "The Chart" reports. They then are threatened with police action unless fines ranging between $100 and $250,000 are paid by wire transfer to a specific location, usually in the Dominican Republic, according to FDA. The scammers also threaten property searches, arrest, physical harm, incarceration and deportation if individuals refuse to send money.

FDA said the extortionists have used customers' previous online purchases to cull personal information, including:

Addresses;

Birth dates;

Credit card information;

Names;

Phone numbers; and

Social security numbers (Young, "The Chart," CNN, 1/7).

Dana Corrigan -- FDA's associate commissioner for regulatory affairs -- said that impersonating an FDA official violates federal law and that FDA agents and other law enforcement officials do not have authorization to set or collect criminal fines (CBS News, 1/7).

Combating Online Extortion Schemes

FDA and other federal agencies are pursuing several criminal investigations on national and international levels to look into the issue.